to its productions, to its interior and exterior circulation, to the current price of the articles of provisions of the country and those coming from beyond seas, to that of the funds, &c. &c. and also in one of those periodical publications, entitled, "Statistical Register of the Province of

amount of English goods imported into America, and of those of America imported into England, during a year, as follows:

Whence it is deducible, that the importation to England of the produce of the Provinces of Rio de la Plata exceeds by 96,2001. 9s. the amount of that of all the other republics conjoined; and that the importation to that country of English goods amounts to more than half the value of all the importations of such goods to the other republics in aggregate. This cannot be caused by the greater abundance or better quality of the productions, or by the superior number of the population in those provinces; but is solely to be attributed to the greater and more ancient concourse of foreigners, which, in point of numbers, may be computed, as regards England, at an amount of as many as are to be found in all the rest of the nations put together.

Buenos Ayres," published at different periods of the year, since 1822, under the inspection of the first authority in the province, all the information that can possibly be desired is to be obtained. It is compiled under a fixed plan, which comprises seven sections ;-namely,

1st. Topography.

2d. Population.

3d. Means of Production.

4th. Arts.

5th. Commerce.

6th. Public Inspection or Authority.

7th. Results of the antecedent violent measures as to the population, or man

ners and customs, in an economical point of view.

As therefore this periodical work can be consulted on all points of information which are wished to be ascertained, no more shall be done, with respect to Buenos Ayres, than to copy from the Statistical Register, the tables and descriptions which are considered of most importance in the actual state of things; as, for instance, those which point out its locality, temperature, population, and other such matters; to which will be added, a topographical plan of the streets of the city, officially taken in the year 1824.

THE RIVER LA PLATA.

THE city of Buenos Ayres is situated on the right bank of the River la Plata, on a hill elevated thirty-four feet above the level of its waters, which penetrate internally to Chile and Peru. The river Paraná, which, in the latitude of 27 degrees, is augmented by the waters of the Paraguay, navigable for the distance of 600 leagues, and by those of many rivers and rivulets in its course; and the Uruguay which, at the same latitude, descends from the eastern part, augmenting its volume in the same manner, form a wonderful ramification of navigable streams, which unite into one channel under the said name of the River la Plata. The natives call it Paraná Guazú, which means great, to distinguish it from the Paraná before its junction with the Uruguay and other rivers. Hence the mouth by which the Paraná goes forth to widen and unite itself with the other, is called the mouth of the Guazú. This is the mother of the river. The other mouths, de las Palmas, Conchas, and so forth, are of little depth. The current of the Guazú, running towards the east, proceeds to meet the coast which comes from the north-west, as far as La Colonia. There it joins the Uruguay, and, doubling its waters, goes along the coast till it enters

between the island of Martin Garcia and the land. The channel which is there formed is so rapid that it has obtained among mariners the appellation of The Channel of Hell. To the other part of the river, on that side of Martin Garcia, towards San Ysidro, they have given the denomination of The Delight. It has little depth, excepting in the canals formed by the

which are given to

mouths of Las Palmas and Conchas. After this great mass of waters has united, it proceeds majestically; and, until its communication with the sea, its narrowest point may be computed at 10 leagues, which is its breadth from the point of La Colonia to that of the Mountain Santiago, and between the capes of Santa Maria and San Antonio it is 40 leagues wide. These capes are the boundaries north and south the River la Plata, by the generality of geographers; because in the waters which thence proceed to the interior, the influence of the tide is not perceptible, nor are other characteristics observable which are common to salt waters. Some limit the river to the points of Santa Lucia and de las Piedras, because after that the waters become unfit for drinking.

That spaciousness which gives such magnificence to the River la Plata is counterpoised by its little depth, which throws frequent obstacles, and also many perils in the way of navigation.

There are, therefore, only two channels which can receive vessels of any burthen as far as the confluence of the rivers: one which runs along the north coast, and the other the south. For this reason it has been deemed advisable to insert, in this place, the following Document, published in Buenos Ayres during the present year.

INSTRUCTIONS

For sailing from the Outer Roads of Buenos Ayres to Monte Video, by the North and South of the Chico Bank.

By the North or Main Channel.

1st. From three fathoms in the Outer Roads, steer E. by S. by the compass until Point Santiago de la Ensenada de Barragan bears S. W. by the compass. Off this Point is found from 5 to 6 fathoms water, according to the state of the river.

2d. When the above-mentioned Point bears S. W., steer E. N. E. until you make the Ortiz Bank, which will be when you lessen your water to 3 or 3 fathoms. This bank may be approached on the South side without danger, as the water diminishes gradually. It is a very good guide to navigate in the night or in thick weather.